Data is a key asset today, and ensuring its protection is a fundamental task for any organisation. This issue can be addressed with the help of a DLP system. But what kind of DLP system can effectively manage this task? Can DLP evolve into a central component of protection not only against leaks of valuable information, but also become a basic tool for safeguarding businesses from information security, IT, and HR risks? We discussed this with Kashif Azhar, General Manager Cyber Security KSA at FVC, and Yazen Rameh, Cybersecurity Expert at SearchInform.
What should a DLP system be like in 2025?
Yazen Rameh, Cybersecurity Expert at SearchInform:
I will highlight the key requirements. A robust DLP system:
Provides control over the widest possible range of information transmission channels. Without this, there are many blind spots through which confidential information can be easily leaked. DLP should monitor, among others: WhatsApp, Telegram, FTP, printers, USB devices, Remote Access Tools (RATs) such as Zoom, RDP, AnyDesk, TeamViewer, VMWare, Microsoft 365, and so on – essentially, all popular information transmission channels.
Has a strong analytical component, processes information in any format or form. Information may exist as a clipboard entry or within a file, and it is essential that the system can analyse both a .docx document and a .pdf file. It is important to recognise that there are numerous other formats, including raw text, such as messages, email bodies, or internet posts; graphics, and even audio calls in instant messengers. Ensuring support for all these formats, including those mentioned above, is critically important for the system.
Analyses information based on both contextual and content features, integrating all available analysis technologies – from “search by regular expressions” to “visual similarity searches” – and utilises supplementary components, such as OCR modules that support information recognition in various languages.
Offers automated reports. Provides automated reporting capabilities. In the current era of pervasive digitalisation, where the volume of information in digital form continues to grow steadily, manual processing becomes unfeasible. Robust tools are essential to handle such large data volumes efficiently. In this context, it is beneficial to incorporate AI tools selectively in areas where they have proven effectiveness, such as automation and image recognition.
Features pre-installed security policy sets tailored for a wide range of tasks and business sectors, designed to be developed in accordance with the requirements of local regulators.
Kashif Azhar, General Manager – Cyber Security KSA at FVC:
Not all security solutions available on the market are truly effective and tailored to the requirements of local clients. It is crucial that the solution is not merely a by-product for the vendor nor developed based on a leftover principle. To avoid unexpected outcomes and disappointment, clients should undertake a trial period before purchasing, deploying the system on as many workstations as possible, subjecting it to maximum load, and thoroughly analysing its capabilities. Reputable vendors offer the opportunity to access comprehensive free trials.
Furthermore, any DLP solution must be properly localised. In the case of the MENA market, this means, firstly, providing full support for analysing information in Arabic. Technical support specialists should speak not only English but also Arabic, ideally based in the client’s city.
The solution should facilitate compliance with regulations such as PDPL, DCC, ECC, UAE Information Assurance (IA) Regulation, GDPR, and others, and include pre-configured security policies that assist in regulatory adherence.
Additionally, I would emphasise that DLP systems should offer watermarking functionality, which is a vital element of e-forensics and supports compliance with regulatory requirements.
Can DLP become a tool for comprehensive protection against IT, cybersecurity, and HR risks?
Industry visionaries, including Gartner experts, have been discussing for several years that future DLP systems will evolve from merely preventing data leaks to becoming a comprehensive internal threat mitigation platforms. Our partnership with SearchInform has shown us that this approach is already being realised in their solutions. Moreover, the vendor has gone a step further, transforming DLP into an instrument for holistic business protection, shifting from Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to the concept of Money Loss Prevention (MLP). I believe it would be best to hand over to Yazen, a representative of a technological trailblazer, to share more technical details about what this Next-Gen approach entails in practice and how, beyond its original purpose, a DLP system can assist businesses more broadly.
Yazen Rahmeh, Cybersecurity expert at SearchInform: The Next-Gen DLP system provides comprehensive business protection, extending beyond the prevention of data leaks to safeguard the organisation against the following risks:
· Internal fraud (document forgery, theft, kickbacks);
· Activities involving market competitors and side companies;
· Dangerous user behaviours (including combating shadow IT, preventing the use of corporate credentials on unauthorised external resources, visiting malicious sites, and more);
· Misuse of corporate resources and equipment (ranging from personal video rendering on work PCs to detecting unauthorised paid software);
· Ensuring communication compliance and enhancing the efficiency of business processes;
· Fair distribution of workload and tasks;
· Detecting widespread idleness;
· Internal conflicts and dismissals;
· Compliance with regulatory requirements and conducting precise corporate investigations, including gathering documentation for reporting to regulators.
Let me share a couple of examples to illustrate how our approach helps address issues in areas that might seem unexpected for traditional DLP solutions. These are recent cases from our clients in the MENA region, primarily KSA and UAE.
A cybersecurity specialist prevented the dismissal of a valuable employee. The staff member was actively searching for new opportunities and sending out resumes. Upon deeper
investigation, it was revealed that the root of the problem was the team lead, who was overloading the employee with tasks, including duties unrelated to the current role, and communicating in an inappropriate tone. As a result, the team facilitated a necessary workload redistribution, conducted a preventive conversation with the manager, and successfully retained a rare and valuable specialist.
The procurement department employee discussed a deferment in payment for the rental of special equipment with an external contact. However, the company had always paid the rental within the agreed term. It was revealed that the employee established a side company and rented the equipment; lately, he subleased this equipment to his employer at an inflated price.
Information security specialists regularly detect systematic idleness among employees across all departments, which costs companies tens or even hundreds of thousands of dirhams/rials each month.
In conclusion, I will present a case involving corporate espionage. An IT specialist connected an additional e-mail to the corporate mailbox. All executives’ correspondence – including the CEO and Commercial Director – was forwarded to this email. Besides the employee, some staff members of a market competitor also had access to this email. Thus, they were informed in advance about each strategic decision of the company’s management.
Our approach to developing a DLP system is to provide the client with a single, comprehensive solution that simultaneously offers robust protection against data leaks and 360-degree defence against a wide range of internal cybersecurity threats; ensures compliance; helps improve business process efficiency and supports sound HR decision-making; and becomes a reliable corporate protector and dependable business assistant. We promote this approach across the MENA region in partnership with our collaborators, and our recently initiated partnership with FVC is expected to maximise the number of companies and organisations able to secure their digital assets effectively and make a reliable investment in their future.
